A Raman study of white cosmetics from the classic world

Some samples coming from different regions of the ancient Mediterranean World have been studied by Raman microscopy. The powders were apparently white cosmetics used in female contexts. A detailed analysis of their FT-IR and Raman spectra revealed that many compounds were present.Fluorite, apatite, sodium nitrate; pyrolusite, lead white, quartz, indigo, black cuprite, gypsum, goethite, have been identified. The presence of so many different and coloured compounds can help in the description of the preparation method used at the time by the artisans and to understand the changes intervened due to chemical alterations and degradation in the course of time. Perhaps different technologies to obtain white cosmetics were used, depending on local availability of materials and social levels of buyers. Traces of binders are sometimes detectable by infrared spectroscopy